Historic Cricket Moments on February 2

Historic Cricket Moments on February 2

Cricketers Born on February 2

Vaughn van JaarsveldZA
Vaughn van Jaarsveld

41y / 1985

Batsman

Ijaz AhmedPK
Ijaz Ahmed

57y / 1969

All-rounder

Jayantha AmerasingheLK
Jayantha Amerasinghe

72y / 1954

Batsman

Sunil WettimunyLK
Sunil Wettimuny

80y / 1946

Wicket-keeper batsman

Imrul KayesBD
Imrul Kayes

39y / 1987

Batsman

Upul TharangaLK
Upul Tharanga

41y / 1985

Batsman

Aminul IslamBD
Aminul Islam

58y / 1968

Batsman

Joey BenjaminENG
Joey Benjamin

65y / 1961

Batsman

Kusal MendisLK
Kusal Mendis

31y / 1995

Wicket-keeper batsman

Player Info

1973 – The Beginning of a Legend

New Zealand’s greatest-ever cricketer took his first steps in Test cricket. Sir Richard Hadlee’s debut against Pakistan in Wellington was far from glamorous—he returned figures of 2 for 112, and after 17 Tests his average sat at an unremarkable 35. In another cricketing culture, that might have been the end. Thankfully for New Zealand, it wasn’t. A match-defining ten-wicket haul against England in Wellington in 1977–78 lit the spark for one of the greatest careers the game has seen.

1995 – Birth of a Crisis Man: Kusal Mendis

Kusal Mendis was born, and years later announced himself as a player for the big moments. In July 2016, at just 21, he walked in during a crisis against Australia in Pallekele with Sri Lanka 6 for 2 and trailing by 80. He batted all day, and by the time he was dismissed for 176 the next morning, Sri Lanka were 204 runs ahead and cruising to victory.

That innings kick-started a remarkable run—half-centuries on ODI debut, consistency across formats, Test hundreds against Bangladesh and India, and eventually a Test double-hundred in Galle. Despite a Covid-related suspension in 2021, Mendis bounced back strongly, playing a key role in Sri Lanka’s Asia Cup triumphs and captaining the side during the 2023 ODI World Cup. By 2024 and 2025, he was among Sri Lanka’s most reliable run-scorers.

2019 – West Indies’ Long-Awaited Series Triumph

West Indies finally ended a near seven-year drought by winning a Test series against a team other than Bangladesh or Zimbabwe. They crushed England by ten wickets in North Sound after an earlier win in Bridgetown. Jason Holder and Kemar Roach led the charge again in Antigua, taking four wickets each to bowl England out for 132.

The moment was made even more emotional by Alzarri Joseph, who played despite losing his mother the day before the Test and took the final catch. England did win the dead-rubber third Test, though West Indies were without Holder, controversially suspended for a slow over rate.

2025 – India Defend U-19 Women’s World Cup Title

India retained their Women’s Under-19 T20 World Cup crown in emphatic fashion, beating South Africa by nine wickets in Kuala Lumpur. Their spinners dismantled South Africa for just 82 before chasing it down in 68 balls. Star of the show was G Trisha, named Player of the Match and Tournament, scoring an unbeaten 44 off 33 balls.

1992 – Gooch’s Ugly Masterclass

Graham Gooch played one of the strangest great innings in Test history. Barely timing the ball on a difficult Auckland pitch, he still scraped his way to 114 against New Zealand. With Allan Lamb adding a blistering 47-ball 60, England stayed in control throughout and won by 168 runs—securing their fourth straight Test victory for the first time since 1979.

1961 – The Curious Case of Joey Benjamin

Joey Benjamin was born in St Kitts. A statistical oddity, he finished his Test career with an average of exactly 20—after playing just one Test. That appearance came in 1994 at The Oval, where he took 4 for 42 against South Africa and helped England to a famous win. Despite touring the Ashes later that year, he never played another Test.

1988 – David Boon Saves the Bicentennial Test

David Boon produced one of the toughest rearguard innings in Test history, batting for 492 minutes to score an unbeaten 184 against England in Sydney. Australia had followed on, but Boon’s resistance frustrated England’s spinners, who bowled 90 overs for just one wicket—an astonishing 540 balls per dismissal.

1992 – Boon Does It Again

David Boon struck yet another Test century, this time against India in Perth. The match was defined by extreme bounce, with a Test-record 33 of 36 wickets falling to catches. Despite an elegant century from an 18-year-old Sachin Tendulkar, Australia ran away with a 300-run win to complete a 4–0 whitewash.

1968 – Aminul Islam’s Historic Hundred

Aminul Islam was born—the man who would score a century in Bangladesh’s first-ever Test match. His 145 against India in Dhaka in 2000 placed him in rare company alongside Charles Bannerman and Dave Houghton. However, like Bangladesh cricket at the time, consistency proved elusive, and he played his final Test in 2002.

1985 – Upul Tharanga’s Roller-Coaster Career

Upul Tharanga was born, later bursting onto the scene with two centuries and a half-century during Sri Lanka’s 5–0 ODI sweep of England in 2006. While he remained solid in ODIs, his Test career was marked by inconsistency. After being dropped, he returned with a stunning 174 in Kingston, though it would take nearly seven years before he played another Test—scoring 83 against South Africa in 2014.

2014 – Karnataka Lift Seventh Ranji Trophy

Karnataka claimed their seventh Ranji Trophy title, defeating Maharashtra by seven wickets in Hyderabad. Centuries from KL Rahul and Ganesh Satish set up a huge first-innings lead. Although Kedar Jadhav hit a hundred in the second innings, the modest target was comfortably chased on day five.

2014 – England’s Ashes Nightmare Ends

England’s disastrous Ashes tour finally came to an end with an 84-run loss in the third T20 in Sydney. The tour left deep scars—Jonathan Trott returned home early, Graeme Swann retired mid-series, Andy Flower stepped down, and Kevin Pietersen was dropped soon after. It marked the end of an era for English cricket.

1892 – A Hat-Trick in Defeat

Johnny Briggs claimed the first Test hat-trick outside Melbourne, dismissing three Australian batters in consecutive balls in Sydney. It was only the third Test hat-trick ever—and the first in a losing cause—as Australia went on to win by 72 runs.

1987 – Birth of Imrul Kayes

Imrul Kayes was born and later became a key figure in Bangladesh’s rise. After early struggles, he returned strongly with his maiden ODI hundred in 2010, starred in Bangladesh’s famous World Cup win over England in 2011, and played a crucial role in historic victories over Pakistan and England in Tests, including a career-defining 150 in Khulna.

Last updated on: February 2, 2026